This invention relates to cellular basket type carrier packaging for beverage bottles or similar bottle products and more specifically, relates to a carrier fabricated from a single blank of sheet material, with the blank being cut and creased to divide the same into a plurality of panels, which are folded into predetermined relation to provide twin compartments separated by a longitudinally extending center partition, with each compartment subdivided into a multiplicity of article accommodating cells by cross partitions extending in longitudinally spaced relation between the center partition structure and the oppositely disposed side walls of the carrier.
Cellular bottle carriers have heretofore been designed for use in connection with the marketing of bottled beverages, such as soft drinks, beer and the like. Such cellular carriers have been fabricated from lightweight, paperboard stock, so as to keep the cost sufficiently low to make it practical to employ them for single trip use, for example, with disposable glass bottles now commonly marketed. Carriers of this general type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,104,027; 3,400,856 and 4,144,966. These carriers are adapted to be fabricated from a paperboard of relative lightweight, and are so constructed that the bottles in the individual cells are separated by a thickness of material required to meet applicable railroad shipping regulations and permit the use of the carriers in the marketing of beer when this beverage is likely to be shipped by rail. In prior art carriers relatively heavier material is generally employed to package more than six beverage bottles to meet the necessary requirements dictated by the shipping regulations of the railroads. However, the use of such heavy duty material increases the overall cost of the packaging and does not permit the use of a lightweight board material, which is desirable for reasons of both economy and ease of manufacture.
It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide an improved bottle carrier, which is fabricated from a single sheet, or blank, of relatively lightweight material, flexible paperboard, or similar material, with the blank being cut, scored, and folded in a novel manner so as to provide bottle separating partitions, which in the erected carrier, have a double thickness of material at the contact points between the bottles.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improved paperboard article carrier fabricated from a paperboard blank of minimum size which is slit, creased and folded to provide oppositely disposed side walls, a longitudinal partition and handle structure paralleling the side walls, and a plurality of cross partition members, which are derived from end portions of the longitudinal partition panels and which extend between the latter and the side walls, when the carrier is in an erected condition with the cross portions folded upon each other, so as to provide a double thickness between the articles of adjoining cells. The longitudinal partition structure includes panel portions in the areas between the cells on the opposite sides thereof which also provides a double thickness of material for separating the articles.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a twin compartment, multi-cellular collapsible bottle carrier formed from an approximate rectangular sheet of paperboard of relatively lightweight, which is cut and scored to provide a bottom wall forming panel, side wall forming panels hinged to opposite side edges thereof, pairs of end wall and longitudinal partition reinforcing panels which are cut from the material at the side of the blank and folded to provide a double thickness of material between bottles in adjacent cells.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a twin compartment, multi-cellular bottle carrying employing cross partition members having an upper curved configuration at their upper edge to facilitate insertion of the bottles in each respective cell by inducing a sliding action thereof during such insertion.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when reference is made to the accompanying detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention which are shown by illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout.